Throughout our trip we interacted with museums and visited important places that made an impact during World War II. It was a sobering experience to be in places like Normandy because I stood where troops did on D-Day as well as where many died. I could feel the importance of where I stood.
Visiting Normandy – Arromanches
Berlin felt very different to me though. It was like a place that had stood still in time but also had moved forward past events during World War II and the Cold War. You could walk down the street and see malls and food places while also looking at the front of a train station that was important during the war. Even the museums stood still in time such as at the Topography of Terror. In front of the museum stood part of the Berlin Wall and underneath that were cells where the Gestapo tortured and murdered people.
Infront of the Topography of Terror Museum – The Berlin Wall
Berlin stood out to me as a place where they embraced the good and very bad of their history. At every turn in Berlin, you could interact with some kind of history.
I also felt that how people interreacted with museums were different. People stopped and read every piece of writing. They carefully looked at photos and other historical pieces as to not miss a thing.
It was one of the best experiences I had because it allowed me to also feel I could really take the time to look at everything and digest the information I was taking in. I think this is something we in the states could really learn from and incorporate. Instead of just quickly walking through or just glancing at pieces of history, we should really take in what we are looking at and experiencing.